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In the back of his mind Eichiro groaned. Shikuro had an annoying way of not
acting as if he'd lost. Eichiro motioned for his guards to just wait by the door and
took a seat behind the desk. Shikuro had already postioned himself so that he
appeared to be lounging comfortably in the arm chair. So irratating! After killing
hundreds of innocent people, and going after children, couldn't he at least
pretend to feel guilty? Especially since he was beaten?
Eichiro stared at Shikuro, while using some of his extra senses to feel where
Mana hid. She was in the secret closet behind the bookshelf at the back of the room,
feeding a spell of protection that was set around Eichiro. He stifled a smile- how
much she'd improved! Maybe there was something to growing up in harsh conditions; she
had adapted to her new role in life splendily. Eichiro was confident that once the
dust had settled she would be just fine.
He leaned forward. Shikuro gave him the most patronizing smile and
mimicked him, making every centimeter serve to mock Eichiro. Eichiro drew a breath,
and told himslef to be calm. After all, there was a purpose to this little meeting.
The civil war had ended, but there was still the matter of making sure nothing like
this could happen again, and to do that the monarch had to know how Shikuro did it.
And, that monarch was once again Eichiro.
"So tell me. How do you plan to make me reveal the inner workings of my mind?"
Shikuro inquired. Eichiro Scented magic in his voice- Shikuro must have used some
spell or other on his voice when he stopped his aging. That explained why his voice
sounded so much like that of a kindly school teacher, one who was just trying to make
sure he understood your question before deciding whether or not to answer you.
Eichiro had to repress a shiver at that voice... That voice which throughout his
emprisonment had made it seem as if Eichiro was in the wrong... Then would come the
beating, and that voice, that voice would always remind him that if he gave up
the flute then it wouldn't go on...
"Oh, nothing special." Eichiro replied, and leaned back again. "After all, you
have no reason not to answer. You have nothing to gain from withholding information,
as almost all of what you say we can gather from your men. That option would just
take more time, and it's easier for me to just ask you."
"And obviously I would do anything to make sure I don't cause you
trouble." Shikuro said sarcasticly. Eichiro relaxed inside. Ironicly, hearing him say
things like made Eichiro feel better- they helped Eichiro remember that Shikuro was
in the wrong, and he was in the right.
"It's worth a try. I know how you found out about Manas' birth, but how did
you know that she was in another world? And how did you travel there yourself?"
"You wouldn't understand." Shikuro said gently. As gental as it would feel to touch a
knife wrapped in cotton. Eichiro smirked.
"try me."
"It's power, boy. If you have enough power then you can do anything." He got a dreamy
look in his eye as he continued. "Of course, I have statagies as well. I shifted my
powers into one skill for short periods of time, and made sure that who ever I was
sensing had their mind fill with what I wanted to know. Kaoru was just a little bit
to trusting, and told her closest friend what she was doing. I put a knife to her
friends throat and repeated Kaorus' name over and over just before I killed her. In
times of stress people can only think of a single thing at a time. I just decided
what it was. Of curse, it took a couple tries to find the right person." Shikuro
suddenly locked eyes with Eichiro, though the rest of Shikuros' didn't change.
"Does that answer your question?" He asked politely, with a malicious smile
that would chill the blood of lesser men.
"Almost. How did you get into Manas' world? You didn't have an Aritfact to use as a
key." Eichiro said, trying not to think of how many people had died as Shikuro
searched for Mana.
"I already told you. Power. I said 'bring me where the Chosen Player is' and I
went. I didn't try to do it twice however; You should know that trying something so
vague can be very tiring."
"So instead you built a castle with magic and brought hundreds of blank banner
soldiers? And went between worlds at least twice to capture me?" Eichiro said
skepticly. The chances of that were very slim. Even Shikuro didn't have that
much raw power at his disposle.
"Your forget that I had already been to our world. It's only vague spells
that bore me. So rather then saying 'take me where the Chosen Player is" again, and
again, and again, when she would almost certainly have wards around her by then, I
settled in to wait, and got my hands on a less draining method of finding her."
Shikuro winked as he said that last. Out the corner of his eye Eichiro noticed one of
his guards hands flitched toward his sword. Eichiro was heartened that his guards
were loyal enough to be offended to hear him spoken of like an object to be used.
"And the men? Where did you find that many trained fighters without a post?"
Eichiro pressed. Getting information was proving easier then he had expected, but far
more emotionaly draining.
"What makes you think they were trained? Or all from this world? I had plenty of time
before the Chosen Player came fully into her power. I had maybe eight trained men,
and lots of young men who couldn't see a future for themselves besides 'military
service'. After awhile I think they realized that it wasn't any ordinary army they
were being trained for, but all those who were willing to travel with a stranger away
from those they had known didn't have anything to go back to anyway. And a little
less then half came from the other world. Where Mana grew up there are lots of
violent young men, and women too, who jumped at the chance to fight." He said,
sounding as if Eichiro should have known it without Shikuro having to explain.
"I suppose you found a way to trick them into thinking that they weren't
waiting years before actually fighting?" Eichiro asked. It was funny, but he had
never thought to pity the men who guarded him all those years. Looking back to the
day when he first met Mana in person, he cringed at the memory of how his new
companions had killed them. "For the first year or two they were content. After all,
they were training. Eventually though, I was forced to make them forget the day
before every few days. You were, of course, exluded from the spell. You're welcome."
Shikuro said, and smiled as if he had done Eichiro a favor. Indeed, Eichiro could
remeber every beating, every time a knife tip entered his flesh, every time...
Eichiro made a mental note to ask some of the captured men how long they thought they
were in Shikuros' castle.
Eichiro nodded. "Why Naono? And all those others? Why did you wish to use so
many orphans?"
"Would you beleive 'it takes a child to catch a child'? No? Well then maybe you'll
beleive this: They had a motive. I wanted Mana dead to secure my place as ruler. But
them... Orphans have reason enough to be bitter. Those particular were done extra
injustice. They didn't just want Mana dead. With a little prompting they wanted to
kill her. Except," Shikuro frowned. "Naono. I should have known not to use someone
who grew up with her. But who knew he was that soft? I mean, I didn't have to do a
thing! He hated her. She had everything he wanted. I still don't understand."
Shikuro shook his head looking bemused.
Eichiro sat up. "So... It wasn't just that he found compassion for Mana? He
tried to save her because he's against violence?" Eichiro was so shocked he nearly
forgot to keep his voice controlled. It couldn't be, surely. When Eichiro found Naono
in the bushes hadn't he fought back? Eichiro rembered carefully... Hang on, it wasn't
that he had just found him, two bushes had been ruseling. Yes that's right, I dove
onto the bush. Could he have been trying to do nothing more then get away? I remember
him blinding me with that camera, but did he ever do anything more thentry to get me
off? Despite his best attempts Eichiro couldn't quite remember.
"Oh I forgot one. That Yukina girl. she ran off years ago, but I beleive she
became part of your posse right? Is she still a little traitor?" Shikuro spat out the
last question. For the first time he seemed bitter about how things turned out.
"And," Shikuro continued, "I imagine lots of my younger assitants have begun saying
that I tricked them now right?"
"Well, yes." Eichiro confessed, not feeling at all ashamed. People like
Shikuro only held loyalty if they had something to offer.
"I suppose I can't truely blame them. I told them how they could get what they
wanted, but for them to follow my advice most of them had to turn on the people they
knew. Why should they see me as an exception?" Shikuro let out a laugh without humor,
one that mocked only hisself. Eichiro Scented magic in the laugh to, and felt himself
beggining to pity Shikuro. How could those kids turn on the man who had given them
what they wanted? And a place to stay? And a future? The feeling passed with a snap,
and Shikuro focused on Eichiro with upmost seriousness again.
"There's the answer to what you should be asking. 'Do I regret how I acted?'
And the answer is no."
And that was all Eichiro could get out of him.

Last edited: 19 August 2009

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